Investing and Remembering
As a teacher I think in school years and so much has changed since the beginning of this past school year. Students have come and gone. Staff have left and new people have joined our team. Everyone has grown and changed. Ghana herself has changed in this last year. The longer I choose to stay […]
Put Praise to my Lips
Even in a dirty and dreary land, there is a sunrise. Even when the air chokes and stifles a clear breath, the birds herald the morning. As a self-proclaimed night person, I enjoy waking up for 8 am classes only for one simple reason: I can see the sunrise. Last Tuesday was gorgeous with purple […]
When Staying Equals Transition
I do not like rollercoasters. Not at all. I’m the person who will stand at the bottom and hold everyone’s bags, glasses, etc. Granted, there are times I choose to get on the rollercoaster anyway (strictly metaphorically speaking!). I decide that a move to a new city and new job and all that entails are […]
When Going Means Staying
Every couple of months, I get a certain impulse; I start looking online for cheap flights to anywhere that has sun. I imagine taking my girls or my whole family or my girlfriends on this sunny getaway. I tell my husband that I cannot keep going, I need sun, we need to do something to shake […]
Build Your CABIN
As our friends are building their RAFT for leaving well, what do we “stayers” build? How about building your CABIN? C Count the Cost. Again. Remind yourself of the call and purpose that first brought you here. Remember how worthy He is. Rededicate all your being to the trustworthy One who is asking you to stay. […]
What Was the Purpose of the Last Six Months, God?
Sometimes staying is one of the hardest things God will ask of us. We stand in the midst of an ever-rotating circle of people and circumstance. We don’t move, standing firm with God. Life becomes familiar, even change becomes familiar. Surely this means I have learned to stand firm, to be strong, to stay well when […]
Staying in the Face of Cancer {an interview with Stephanie Diamond}
I’ve known Stephanie Diamond for almost 20 years. As you’ll see from the interview below, she’s made her home in China for over 25 years. What you might not learn from the interview is that she’s an amazing cook, one of the most generous people I know, and able to put on almost seamless trainings and orientations for […]
How Have You Been Called to Stay?
Some years, staying put while teammates and other foreigners leave feels like winning the lottery. They sell us their bikes and super handy shelving units and rugs and coffee makers and we can hardly wave goodbye with our arms so full of loot. We’ll miss them, for sure, but we’ll keep in touch and probably […]